Kiss legend Gene Simmons has slammed the current state of rock’n’roll music during a visit to Australia.

Speaking ahead of the band’s performance this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix, Simmons said that rock’n’roll was in a “pathetic state”.

"Bands think they can get up on stage and strum their guitars and then download it - it's useless and pathetic.

"We're sick and tired of seeing bands getting up on stage and not giving value for your buck," he told the Australian Herald.

Kiss’s Paul Stanley added that they weren’t worried about ever losing touch with their audience.

"Kiss music is universal, ageless - we always find a new audience,” he said. “We don't need to to look for an audience - the audience finds us."

(by Jason Gregory)